Track ballasting



Oct. 16, 1951 A. w. BANTON, JR., ETAL 2,57l83 TRACK BALLASTING FiledSept. 1'7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 52 l Wg A l INVENTORS. M zal Oct. 16,1951 A. w. BANTON, JR., ET AL 2,571,183

TRACK lBALLASTING Filed se'pt. 17, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct.16, 1951 TRACK BALLASTING Albert W. Banton, Jr., and'Paul E. Banton,Yorktown, Va.

Application September 17, 1949, Serial No. 116,335

8 Claims.

Our invention relates to maintenance of, a railroad right of way andincludes among its objects and advantages an improved track ballastingsystem.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of the novel portion of a track ballastingoutfit according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the plow;

Figure 3 is an enlarged rear end elevation of the plow;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the plow; and

Figure 5 indicates a modified arrangement for controlling the elevationof the plow.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the plowIU is a fabricated frame with a smooth bottom adapted to slide over theunderlying ground indicated at I2 in Figure l. The front end of the plowis V-shaped, with a slightly concave forwardly facing edge I6, to pushearth to either side. In Figure 1 the old bed is indicated at I8, andthe ballasting operation involves lifting the track 20 andreconditioning the material upon which the track rests with crackedstone or other suitable materials. To get the parts into operation as inFigure 1, a short section of track 20 is lifted so that the plow I0 canbe pushed in place from one side. This is usually done with jacks. Afterthe plow is in place as in Figure l, it is connected to a locomotiveindicated at 22, as by means of two cables 23 one at each side of theplow. The top of the plow is provided with spaced slide rails24positioned to engage the individual ties 26 and support the elevatedsection 28 of the track. At the front end, the slide rails 24 are curveddownwardly as indicated at 30 so that if any ofthe ties are connected tothe rails loosely, the inclined sections 30 will still get under thetics and lift them up against the rails. The following ends of the sliderails 24 are also bent down as indicated at 32 to release the tiesv4gently.

To keep the plow well alignedrwith the track we provide a detachablefront axle 34 carrying wheels 36 positioned to ride on top of the trackrails 38. A duplicate axle 40 at the rear end of the plow similarlysupports the rear guide wheels 42. Both axles must be removable topermit the skid to beinstalled, We have indicated standards 44 for theend bearings of both axles, detachably connected to the plow. Eachstandard enters a suitable socket in the plow, and is fastened in placeby a dowel pin 46. The axle ends 48 may turn in conventional plainbearings 50.

We have indicated adjustable means for connecting the tension cables 23to the plow, which connection includes an anchor 52 about midway of theside of the plow and a tension arm 54 pivotally connected to the anchor52. The elevation of the bar 54 may be quickly adjusted from time totime by means of standards 56, each provided with a series of spacedholes 58 to receive a dowel pin or fastening bolt 60.

In use, the operator of a locomotive 22 draws the plow along very slowlywhile a gang of workmen positioned around the empty space at 62 behindthe rear end of the plow throw in the desired amount of ballast andsettle the track in place by suitable tamping and other manipulation.The supplies for ballasting can come up on the same track 20 behind theplow, or they can be conveniently dumped in piles from a parallel track.If the plow starts to gouge a little too deeply or not quite deeplyenough, the operator of the locomotive gives a little slack on thetension cables 23, and one of the ycrewmen can lower or raise thetension bars 54 quickly and easily to correct the deviation.

In Figure 5 the same plow I6 is shown equipped with detachable standards64 and tension braces 66 near the front end. Two tension cables areprovided on each side, an upper tension cable 68 and a lower cable 10.At the rear end of the locomotive 12 the front ends of the cable 68 and'I0 are connected to the arms 14 of a short equalizer pivoted at 16,which carries a forwardly directed arm 18 and a toothed sector 80. Theworm 82 can be manipulated by turning the hand wheel 84 to rotate theequalizer and shift the tension in the cables 68 and 1l). As it ispossible to arrange the cable 'l0 so that its line of pull passes wellbelow the center of resistance of the plow, and the parts carriedthereby, while the cable 68 is well above the center of resistance, thisprovides a somewhat more effective and quickly adjustable control of themovement of the skid.

Others .may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditionsof service by employing one or more of the novel features disclosed orequivalents thereof. For instance, the cables 68 and 10 might beprovided with takeup connections at the plow end also, so thatV theworkmen standing beside the plow can control the elevation of it, withor without assistance from the locomotive personnel. It will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that a substantial portion of thematerial filled in at 62 behind the plow will be the same materialpushed to either side .by the front end of the plow. Such material willlie close beside the space at 62 in a convenient ridge on each side,where it can be sorted over and wholly or partially put back under thetrack. As at present advised with respect to the present scope of ourinvention, we desire to claim the following subject matter:

1. Equipment for reconditioning a railroad right of way comprising, incombination: a shallow plow having a large flat bottom adapted to engageand slide on underlying earth; said plow having a pointed breast adaptedto thrust to either side all material above the level of its bottom;

said plow being of sumcient width to plow a strip 1 at least as wide asthe length of a railroad tie; skids on said plow adapted for slidingengagement with the bottoms of the ties of a previously laid railroadtrack, to support saidties and the track associated therewith as saidplow moves along under said track; positive guide means in the nature offront and rear axles mounted on said plow and positioned above saidplow; .each axle carrying a pair of flanged wheels having guidingengagement with the rails ofthe track, whereby said plow is held inalignment with said track as it moves along; tension means extendingforward from said plow on each side thereof; said tension means havingconnections at its front end for connecting it to a locomotive orequivalent traction means; and means for connecting the rear end of saidtension means to said plow; said tension means being adjustable to varythe direction of pull of said plow in a Vertical plane; said tensionmeans on each side including an upper cable connected to deliver tensionwell above the center of resistance of said plow; a lower cableconnected to deliver tension well below the center of resistance of saidplow; and means at the forward ends of said upper and lower cables forvarying the effective length of said cables; whereby any deviation bysaid plow` in the vertical plane from the desired path abruptlytransfers the effective pulling force to a position exerting a strongcorrective force on the plow.

2. Equipment for reconditioning a railroad right of way comprising, incombination; a plow having a fiat bottom adapted to engage and slide onunderlying earth; said plow having a pointed breast adapted to thrust toeither side material above the level of its bottom said plow being ofsumcient width to plow a strip at least as wide as the length of arailroad tie skids on said plow adapted for sliding engagement with thebottoms of the ties of a previously laid railroad track, to

support said ties and the track associated therewith as said plow movesalong under said track; positive guide means in the nature of front andrear axles mounted on said plow and positioned above said plow; eachaxle carrying a pair of flanged wheels having guiding engagement withthe rails of the track, whereby said plow isheld in alignment with saidtrack as it moves along; tension means extending forward from said plowon each side thereof; said tension means having connections at its frontend for connecting it to a locomotive or equivalent traction means; andmeans for connecting the rear end of said tension means to said plow;said tension means being adjustable to vary the direction of pull onsaid plow in a vertical plane.

3. Equipment for reconditioning a railroad right of way comprising, incombination: a plow to slide on the road bed and under the track; saidplow having a breast adapted to thrust material laterally; guide meanson said plow adapted for sliding engagement with the bottoms of the tiesof a previously laid railroad track, to support said ties and the trackassociated therewith as said plow moves along under said track; a secondguide means including wheels having guiding engagement with the rails ofthe track, whereby l 'said plow is held in alignment with said track asit moves along; and tension means extending forward from said plow oneach side thereof; said tensionmeans having connections at its front endfor connecting it to a locomotive or equivalent traction means.v

4. Equipment for reconditioning a railroad right of way comprising, incombination: a plow to slide on the road bed and under the track; saidplow having a breast adapted to thrust material laterallyiguide means onsaid plow adapted forsliding engagement with the bottoms of the ties ofa previously laid railroad track, to support said ties and the trackassociated therewith as said plow moves along under said track; a secondguide means including wheels having guiding engagement with the rails ofthe track, whereby said plow is held in alignment with said track as itmoves along; and tension means extending forward fromsaicl plow on eachside thereof said tension means having connections at its front end forconnecting it to a locomotive or equivalent traction means; saidtensionmeans including an upper cable on each side delivering tensionwell above the center of resistance of said plow; and a lower cable oneach side connected to deliver tension well below the center ofresistance of Said plow; whereby any deviation by said plow in thevertical plane from the desired path abruptly transfers the eiectivepulling f orce to a position exerting a strong corrective force on theplow.

5. Equipment according to claim 4, in combination with means foradjusting the lengths of said upper and lower cables to vary theposition toward which corrective forces are exerted.

6. Equipment according to claim 5, in which adjusting means operatessimultaneously to increase the length of an upper cable and decrease thelength of a lower cable, or vice versa.

7. Equipment vaccording to claim 4 in combination with means foradjusting the length of certain of said cables to vary the positiontoward which corrective forces are exerted.

8. Equipment according to claim 7 in which said adjusting means islocated adjacent the front end of the cable to'be adjusted.

ALBERT W. BANTON, JR. PAUL E. BANTON.

AREFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

l UNITED STATES PATENTS.v Number Name Date 966,613 Sparks Aug. 9, 19101,083,302 Sparks Jan. 6, 1914 1,929,617 waibridge oct. 10,1933

